Brussels, 03/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to allocate EUR 3.27 million to support the peace process in Sri Lanka. The funding decision was taken as part of the rapid reaction mechanism for managing civil conflicts and crises, following an assessment mission carried out by the Commission last January. This funding will go towards three measures: checking on the implementation of the cease-fire agreement concluded on 22 February 2002; rehabilitation of electricity lines to get the control points on the Kandy-Jaffna route up and running 24 hours a day and therefore facilitating the moving of the population between the old conflict zones: supporting the secretariat for peace (for constant diffusion of information on the evolution of the peace process to main actors and population) as well as reconstruction funds for the North East of the country, when negotiations begin again (currently suspended), between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger Liberation Movement (TTLM).
The contracts allowing the progamme for maintaining peace to be implemented should be signed in the next few days. The Commission is also planning to announce the mobilisation of additional funds during the international donors conference for Sri Lankan reconstruction (Tokyo 9-10 June).